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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24511933">Preening</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rona23/pseuds/Rona23'>Rona23</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Merlin´s  magic [31]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Merlin (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Wings, Angel Wings, Gen, Wings, preening</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 07:19:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,023</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24511933</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rona23/pseuds/Rona23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world were everyone has wings - the colors are what define your status.<br/>Colorful wings could make you a royal.<br/>But if your tips turn black - the pyre may be lit for you.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gwaine &amp; Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwaine &amp; Merlin (Merlin), Gwaine/Percival (Merlin), Lancelot &amp; Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Lancelot &amp; Merlin (Merlin), Merlin &amp; Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Merlin´s  magic [31]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1588378</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>793</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This prompt was given to me by: @sylvanao222007 (on wattpad)</p><p>I plan on making this a two shot, but I'm honstly not sure how to go from here. Give me a few days and maybe I'll think of a proper ending :))))))</p><p>as for the art, visit me on<br/>tumblr: @changelink<br/>Or instagram: @changelink23</p><p>I know it doesn't completely fit the story.... but man - i just wanted to get the colors right, okay!?</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Preening was one of the most sacred practices in the entire world. Every culture, every religion, every person knew the importance of self maintenance.<br/>Preening is, when one person decides to completely trust another person. To be preened is putting yourself in a vulnerable position. Because yes, dirt and stones within your feathers hurts a lot. But an accidentally pulled out feather hurts about as much as breaking a fingernail.<br/>Wings were extremely sensitive.<br/>And not only that – their entire appearance could put you in danger or raise your status at the court.<br/>Colorful wings could make you a royal – while brown and green colors made you a peasant by default.<br/>If the tips of your feathers were black however – you were marked a sorcerer and burned at the stake.<br/>White tips and your fate would be even worse. But warlocks were rare.</p><p>The color of wings could change throughout your life. They could intensify in their color or become dull. Your tips could become black when magic came to you later in life.<br/>That is why it was important to make sure you took good care of them. And to let someone take care of them whom you trusted.<br/>You could hardly take care of your wings yourself, because they were attached to your back.<br/>And you couldn't dress them up, because to wrap up your wings was like walking around handcuffed.</p><p>Even the knights had trouble protecting their wings with armor. Of course it was important to protect your most sensible areas. But to add metal plates on top of your wings took away your ability to fly. One of the reasons why it was so important to train their back muscles every day.<br/>To fly while fighting could decide whether of not you made it out of a life or death situation – or it helped you ambush people.<br/>However, to fight while flying meant a huge amount of stress for both your physical and mental abilities.<br/>Being fought from all sides had a different meaning when your wings were flapping mid air.</p><p>Wings were also the first thing that would be taken from you, when you were tortured. Hurting or breaking wings was one of the most effective methods to make a captured person talk.<br/>Hurting the wings was easier, because it exhausted the tortured to a point where they could hardly move at all and they could easily be removed without risking the captive to die an immediate death.</p><p>All in all – wings were vital points in society, painful points in your physics, important for survival, but unimportant for self preserving.<br/>They were an easy target. And thus – most protected.</p><p>Arthur Pendragon prided himself with the fact that his wings were of the upmost red. They were the brightest in the entire country. Small golden feathers were woven within. But they were so golden, he could use them to pay food with. That was how rare golden feathers were.<br/>Not as rare as pure white ones maybe – but still pretty rare.<br/>And that was how his wings were viewed. Arthur had a hard time finding someone to preen him who didn't take his feathers away.</p><p>He might not have been so happy when his father assigned this peasant country boy to be his servant – with his muddy wings that were definitely only ever preened from stones and maybe small branches. Merlin definitely didn't look like someone who knew how to maintain his own wings. Maybe Merlin's feathers were just naturally colored this way.<br/>But at least Merlin was not a thieve. Not once had Arthur heard that Merlin was paying for food with golden feathers. And he was pretty good at avoiding to pull them out.<br/>His last manservant had been so harsh in his care taking that Arthur had been playing with the thought of firing him multiple times before Merlin stumbled along.</p><p>If saving your life could be called stumbling along.</p><p>Needless to say the job of a manservant required an amount of loyalty that almost equaled those of the knights. Even knights were sometimes reluctant to help each other out with preening.<br/>Arthur made sure that new knights were eased into this level of trust. Knights needed to trust each other. Preening was just one way of proving they did.<br/>Not that Arthur ever had to preen anyone in his life. He tried with Morgana once, but the girl had almost kicked him out as soon as he held his first purple feather in hand.<br/>No – the only person Morgana trusted enough to be preened by was Gwen. Her maidservant.</p><p>He wondered who preened Merlin sometimes. Maybe Merlin let himself preened by anyone. Merlin trusted people easily. It wasn't hard to imagine that anyone may have a go at his feathers.<br/>Arthur shuddered at the thought. To let yourself be preened by just anyone was frowned upon.<br/>For good reasons. You could be seen as a slut for just offering your services.<br/>You know – if something like a platonic slut existed.</p><p>Not that Arthur cared much about the services itself.<br/>He just didn't like the thought of Merlin being – well...<br/>He wondered when it had happened. His own jealousy towards anyone who touched Merlin's feathers.<br/>He didn't even like the color of Merlin's wings. They were brownish – blue. Like Merlin just bathed in dirty lake water each morning and rolled around in the sand right afterwards.<br/>And yet – Arthur would love to just spend some time helping Merlin maintain his wings the way it should be.<br/>He would love to comb out the dirt, the occasional bugs, the rocks, the branches.<br/>Merlin's wings were full of them sometimes.</p><p>Mostly right after the boy disappeared to who knows where for a couple of days.</p><p>Speaking of disappearing for a couple of days – Arthur and the knights were preparing for another hunt. Of course they would take Merlin with them.<br/>He was the best person when it came to making food, differentiating between poisonous and edible plants and of course – preparing camp.<br/>(Not to mention that Arthur loved it when Merlin worked on his wings.)</p><p> </p><p>---------------------------</p><p> </p><p>Taking horses on missions was actually just an act of royalty. They were much faster without them. When they were flying and all. Since horses rarely had wings to begin with (Only Arthur's horse was a Pegasus, but he hardly ever brought him along because that would just be showing off. Falcon was a horse for tournaments or other princely events. Not hunting.).<br/>But they were practical in other ways. They could carry the weapons – the food – their necessities. And that without loosing their mobility within the forests.<br/>Like they would with carriages. However, they didn't use the horses during the hunts itself. Which meant that Merlin would have to take care of them at camp, while Arthur and the knights made sure they would have enough to eat for the evening.</p><p>Arthur always enjoyed these hunts. He knew Merlin didn't. The man was always grumpy. He hated it when Arthur came back with a bunch of bunnies or a whole deer to show off with.<br/>Especially the first nights were always difficult. Merlin was always moping then. And always a bit harsher when he began preening Arthur's wings.<br/>After hunting the preening was very essential to them. Admittedly, Arthur got preened more often than he needed to – but he liked it. It was a luxury only few could afford. And Arthur was one of the few who could.</p><p>His knights always shook their heads at the sight – before they began preening each other as well.<br/>For a while it was quiet, while Merlin's already careful hands became even softer while they took out small rocks and branches from Arthur's wings.</p><p>“Hey, Merlin -”, finally Gwaine asked as he had given Merlin's wings a once over.<br/>Arthur tensed, not seeing Gwaine and therefore not expecting him to speak up. Arthur sat with his back to Merlin on the log in front of the fire and simply enjoyed the attention.<br/>“There are bugs in your wings. Can I take them out?” Arthur and Merlin both turned around as Gwaine reached out for Merlin's wings already. But Merlin practically jumped as he realized what Gwaine was doing.<br/>And with practically jumping I mean – he flapped his wings to fly about two meters above them. His breath hitching in shock as realized all eyes were suddenly on him.</p><p>“Sorry – I didn't mean to -”, Gwaine sounded hurt as he raised both his hands in defense. Arthur blinked. That was – certainly strange. Gwaine was one of Merlin's best friends. And if Percival's comments were anything to go by – quite good at preening.<br/>Why would Merlin of all people -<br/>Except he didn't let other people preen him? But that didn't sound right!</p><p>Arthur shook his wings, they were clean enough, he decided. “Merlin, it's fine. Calm down.”, he rolled his eyes, but his confusion was evident.<br/>Reluctantly, Merlin landed gently on his feet. A few loose feathers rained to the ground, shaken from Merlin's sudden use of his wings. He really didn't preen them often, when his feathers could just rain down like that.<br/>“Sorry.”, Merlin mumbled. “I'm not used to others -”, he ran his hands over his wings absentmindedly.</p><p>Arthur blinked. “You mean – you preen yourself?”, he asked and almost laughed. But Merlin wasn't laughing along. After all- wings were attached to a blind spot on your body. You couldn't exactly reach very far.<br/>“I think I've only been preened by three of four people in my life.”, Merlin admitted.<br/>“My mom, Will, Gaius and Freya-”, he stopped himself. “Yeah – that's basically it.”, he shrugged and sat down. His wings still moving slightly. Merlin stretched them a little to get the stiffness out, before he tugged them back in.<br/>'Who the hell was Freya?', Arthur asked himself in wonder. 'All in due time!', he decided finally.</p><p>“Do you want to talk about it?”, Gwaine asked and sat down in front of Percival this time, so they could reverse roles now.<br/>Percival didn't hesitate to start working on his boyfriend's dark blue shimmering wings, but he listened anyway.</p><p>Merlin sighed and curled up in his position. He didn't like being the center of attention.<br/>“Not really.”, he said and sighed.</p><p>Arthur nodded. “That's okay, Merlin. But should you change your mind – we'll listen.”, he said carefully. He wouldn't pressure Merlin on the subject.<br/>After all – wings were most sensitive subjects. Even in casual conversation.</p><p>Merlin stood there between them, awkwardly shuffling his wings behind him.<br/>“I'll – er – I guess I'll go fetch some more water, alright?” And with that – the conversation was practically over.</p><p>The river wasn't too far. But they already had enough water, Arthur thought and shook his head. Maybe Merlin just needed some time to himself.<br/>“Don't let this drag you down, guys.”, Lancelot interrupted them, as he helped one of the newer knights clean their shield.<br/>“He doesn't even let ME do it.”, Lancelot sighed. “And I've been trying to do it for him for years.”</p><p>Arthur nodded and absentmindedly put one of the fallen feathers into his hand.<br/>He frowned upon inspecting it. It truly did look like someone had just put the feathers into muddy water and then dragged it through sand.<br/>In fact – Arthur frowned even further, as he rippled off some of the sand.<br/>Lancelot was still going on over his convictions why Merlin was so stoic over his wings, as Arthur uncovered something beneath all the dirt.<br/>He jumped to his feet, his own red wings flaring in surprise.</p><p>“Holy shit.”, he muttered and once again all attention was directed at him again.</p><p>“What?”, Lancelot asked, but his eyes widened at the feather in Arthur's hand.<br/>It wasn't at all brown. Not at all the sand color they were all used to.</p><p>“Gwaine – give me your water. I need to clean this.”, he said without thinking too hard. But Gwaine just frowned. “I never have water with me, you know that.”, he said, but drank a sip from his flask.<br/>Percival raised an eyebrow.<br/>“Then give me percival's water or something! Now!”, Arthur decided and Percival threw his flask at him.</p><p>Arthur caught it with eased practice and opened the flask with his teeth since he had his other hand full.<br/>Then he used the water to clean the rest of the dirt off the feather.<br/>The dusty color he had revealed to himself earlier was almost glowing now. Clean and light blue. Like the brightest sky on the clearest day. It was like a neon color – visible from miles away.<br/>Almost more prominent than the bloody red Arthur prided himself with.</p><p>“This color -”, Arthur began. And it wasn't like he had ever seen such beauty before. No, he hadn't in fact. But a color like this was bound to belong to royalty! Merlin's mother had dark brownish wings – how had Merlin -<br/>No. This didn't make sense.</p><p>“Why would he hide something like this?” Gwaine and Lancelot sat up as well now. So did the other knights, but their eyes were the biggest of them all.<br/>It was then that they heard a scream and a splash.</p><p>Arthur turned his head in the direction it had come from. And it distracted him momentarily from the arrow that almost hit his head, but now hit the tree behind him instead.<br/>Arthur's head snapped around.<br/>“Shit -”, he muttered and grabbed for his weapons. “DOWN!”, he yelled, so his knights would know that they were just ambushed.</p><p>Just in time, because as the knights howled to the ground, bandits appeared within the trees. Arrows almost hitting them.<br/>Arthur maybe had a dozen knights with him – but right now the bandits outnumbered them at least three to one.<br/>Arthur tried to protect his head with his wings. He knew he practically exposed himself like this, but better his wings were hurt then his head chopped of.<br/>What was worse was – the scream must have been Merlin's. And he was alone at the river bank. No knight with him. No weapon. Nothing!</p><p>“And look who we've got here! The brave knights of Camelot! And the prince himself, as I see.”, a dirty voice chuckled behind him.<br/>Arthur had never met this man before. But he had met his kind. His brownish feathers showed his status easily, but the black tips at the bottom of his wings marked him a sorcerer.<br/>That and of course the yellow in his eyes, as he managed to paralyze Arthur and his men with a mere glance.</p><p>Arthur's sword fell from his grasp, as the man grabbed him by his collar and raised him to his feet.<br/>“Golden feathers. How nice that must be. You must be the prince. What do you think – care to share your nice little gift with me?”<br/>His yellow eyes were unwavering as he grabbed one of Arthur's golden feathers and pulled them out.<br/>Arthur hissed in pain and almost screamed.<br/>“So well maintained. Sadly not all of you royals know how to take proper care of them.”</p><p>What was it with bandits and evil people to always hold speeches? Arthur spat into his face and the man tossed him to the ground again.<br/>Arthur muffled a groan as he saw his knights be tied up as well. At least they weren't killed.</p><p>Well – royals and knights (which often were the same thing) had the most beautiful wings of all. Their wings were valued highly on the black market. Simply as trophies.<br/>It made sense that the bandits were actively trying to capture them.</p><p>“You know – by the looks of that idiot at the river – I really thought you guys were a bunch of peasants. I hope you don't mind that we shot him down.”<br/>The man now cleaned his fingernails with his knife.</p><p>How had Arthur not noticed them sooner? How could he have let Merlin go to the river all by himself? He had been so careless – so foolish.<br/>“I would have loved to take his wings too – but you know.”, the man laughed again.<br/>“We don't have enough hands to carry them.” His grin was bright, with teeth white as unicorn hair.<br/>“Also – peasant wings don't make much on the market.”</p><p> </p><p>---------------------------------------</p><p> </p><p>With each hour that passed, Arthur cursed himself more and more. He had wanted to fight those bandits. It wasn't fair that he couldn't move. Couldn't defend himself.<br/>The bandits were very sure of themselves as well.<br/>Here and there they picked on his wings. They loved the golden feathers. They would make a great collection – surely. Gwaine's dark blue one's were also a sight to behold.<br/>They shone silvery in the sunlight.</p><p>Percival's were a bit more grayish. Since he wasn't born a royal. Not that that said a lot. Lancelot was a commoner too – yet he had reddish feathers as well. Not as deep red as Arthur's – but a less bright color.<br/>The other knights had just as colorful wings. Colorful and bright. Reason enough to be tugged out.</p><p>The bandits however – their wings were less expensive. One of them was missing one half of his wings as well. And in so – he had trouble walking correctly. He had his wing tugged in at all times.</p><p>But that was hardly important. Important was that with every hour – Arthur feared they had passed their chance to save Merlin.</p><p>“So – who do you think we should ease of their extra weight first?”, the leader said again. The one with the yellow eyes. He wasn't the only one with black feathers though.<br/>Sorcerers. The bunch of them. Dangerous men. Too dangerous for Arthur and his knights to have a chance against.</p><p>“How about yours?”<br/>Odd. That is what Arthur had thought. But it wasn't him who said it. That voice sounded more like -</p><p>There he was. Merlin. He looked like he'd been through hell. An arrow still sticking in his right wing, and his clothes barely dried from his swimming excourse.<br/>However – what baffled Arthur the most weren't the wounds – weren't the dark circles under his eyes or the way he held his side with a heaving breath.<br/>It were the wings.</p><p>“Who the hell are you?”, the sorcerer asked, eyeing him. But with every blink of his eyes, he seemed to realize that the man in front of him was the same man they had ambushed at the river.<br/>Moreover – he was a completely different man now.</p><p>Merlin dragged his wings behind him, but they were widened in a defensive mode. The red from his wound coloring his wing almost purple and red.<br/>Purple in the blue's that practically shone in the light the fire had provided. And red were his tips began. And boy did they began.<br/>White. White as unicorn hair. White as the sharp teeth of their captor. White like snow in winter. Blinding like the sun.<br/>“Warlock.”, Arthur deadpanned as he realized why Merlin had covered his wings in dirt.</p><p>Nothing about these wings was usual. Nothing about them was common. Every single feather must be worth more than a few golden coins.</p><p>The bandit stepped closer in awe, as he realized how rare the blue color was. Only then did he recognize what white feathers meant.<br/>“You -”</p><p>“Let. Them. Go.”, Merlin said slowly through gritted teeth. “Before I blow up each and every single one of you.</p><p>“Don't listen to him!”, the bandit said and raised his arm at Merlin. A few foolish ones of his companions listened to that and mimicked his stance.<br/>But Merlin's eyes flared once, the gold traveling through his feathers and it was like he shot magic itself at them. Like arrows, they hit their targets, as Merlin jumped into the air – faster than Arthur had ever seen him do before.<br/>And Merlin was fast. Fast like the Falcon that had given him his name. But without the extra weight of the dirt and the rocks and mud stuck on his wings – he could fulfill his true potential.</p><p>The bandit leader screamed as he as well jumped into the air. He had trouble avoiding the branches of the trees, but Merlin evaded them easily. Even with an arrow stuck in his right wing – he was still faster than the armed bandit behind him.<br/>Merlin halted in the air, hands outstretched to blast another magical attack at the man.</p><p>Arthur realized how his ties loosened. Of course! The bandit leader was the one holding them captive with his magic! They could move again!<br/>“Knights!”, he said quietly, as he saw how distracted the other bandits were. “NOW!”, he screamed and saw his man grab for the nearest weapons.<br/>This was their chance. This was their distraction! They could fight the bandits now!</p><p>And so they did. And yet – somehow Arthur knew – the end of this match depended entirely on Merlin's fight with the bandit.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>so this was rather uneventful.....</p><p>Someone asked me to insert Freya in here.... but that was a bit too complicated for me, honestly D: This would have gotten too long again.<br/>And I wanted to keep it short and sweet. </p><p>As always, all the art is mine as well: </p><p>Follow me on insta: @changelink23<br/>Or tumblr @changelink<br/>In case you have wattpad and rather like to read these stories on there, my name is @changelink23 again.<br/>I wonder why only ao3 has my OC name on it ..... hmmm.... do you guys think I should change it? Just so my social media lines up? Or should I choose a better name XD</p><p>- Rai</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Merlin roared at the man in front of him. The white of his feathers glittering with gold, with each spell he shot at the sorcerers.<br/>Arthur was so enraptured by the view and so distracted by his own fight, he kind of forgot what all this was about. What it really meant.<br/>Until his opponent managed to slice into one of his own wings. Arthur screamed, which in turn distracted the warlock in the air.</p><p>It took one blast of the sorcerer to throw Merlin against the next tree.<br/>A few loose wings fell from Merlin's wings. White ones. Expensive ones. The bandit beneath him tried to grab for it, distracted by his own greed, giving Lancelot the time to stab him dead.</p><p>Arthur was lucky that the hit didn't make him loose his sword. Or else he wouldn't have been able to parry his opponent.<br/>And he was glad Merlin was on their side. Being a warlock and all.</p><p>Wait a second.<br/>Arthur almost paused, almost gave his opponent an opening. But Merlin had gathered his thoughts again and shot a magic blast at the bandit before he could even make a move at Arthur. The bandit fell backwards and gave Arthur more than enough time to get rid of him.<br/>Merlin was a warlock. And!<br/>He was on their side.</p><p>A most powerful, rare magical creature. And he was on Arthur's side. Had hidden in the dirt to protect himself.</p><p>Arthur frowned. THAT'S why Merlin didn't let anyone preen him!<br/>Arthur was furious! And if Merlin was the frigging epitome of evil! The least he could do was take care of himself!<br/>Let him rephrase that: How could someone who was supposed to be the epitome of evil be so careless?</p><p>Preening was considered a basic need. If Merlin was stupid enough to deny himself that much, if he believes he doesn't at least deserve that much – then Arthur seriously needed to speak a word with him.<br/>Wait. No.<br/>That's not all it was.</p><p>Merlin deliberately chose to neglect those duties. He deliberately chose to cover his wings ('beautiful wings, holy crap', Arthur had never seen such beautiful wings before) with dirt and sand and rocks. Granted, he needed to, to protect himself from the pyre.<br/>But god damn it, Arthur was his friend! Didn't he trust him?</p><p>Do you even know how much it hurt to have a single rock inside your wings? Can you imagine what it must feel like to lie down on a fucking stone road and keep those rocks inside your wings for days? And he did that, voluntarily?!</p><p>If they're stuck between the feathers, that's one thing. But to actually have them sticking into the thin skin that's stretched over delicate bones – that's a whole different story!<br/>There are nerves everywhere. Merlin was living with this?! Living like this! And right under Arthur's nose.<br/>All while Arthur's feathers were always cleaned, always soft, always cared for.</p><p>“MERLIN!”, Arthur yelled over to where Merlin was shaking off his own fall and began attacking another sorcerer.<br/>“When you're done up there, get the FUCK down, so we can FUCKING talk!”</p><p>Merlin literally almost fell from the sky right where he was. While Arthur had trouble keeping up with the second person who now tried to attack him.<br/>He could see Merlin shiver from the corner of his eyes. But Arthur didn't really care about that.</p><p>“Yes Sire.”, he heard a solid reply and Arthur felt enraged enough by that to pierce right through his next opponent.<br/>Merlin was no soldier. He wasn't a knight. He didn't even know self defense (all things considered). Even as a servant he had never addressed Arthur like that. That – formal.<br/>How dare he talk to him like this now!<br/>It felt like somehow Merlin was distancing himself from Arthur. And Arthur seriously couldn't have that.</p><p>There were only two bandits left again. All of Arthur's men still standing and or flying. None of them hurt any worse than Merlin was.<br/>Not that Arthur particularly liked the state Merlin was in.</p><p>It took one more swing of Lancelot's sword and one more magic blast from Merlin to stop the adrenaline from keeping them going. They had won. Outnumbered they had been. But they had won.</p><p>The warlock landed in front of Arthur. His wings tugged behind his thin frame. Trying to cover what was long uncovered.</p><p>Arthur stalked toward him and grabbed him by the shoulder.<br/>“Merlin, you're coming with me.”, he said in a stern voice and Merlin actually shrunk under his gaze.</p><p>“Guys, please do me a favor and clean this up.”, Arthur said to the remaining knights. Not that he needed to, they had already started.<br/>And with cleaning up, he meant taking their camping stuff and build it up somewhere else again. Leave the bodies were they had fallen. They could bury them another day. Not now. Not when their blood was still boiling with anger and fear and regret to have murdered so many people.</p><p>“Arthur -”, Lancelot suddenly interrupted, but Arthur cut him off already.<br/>“Lancelot. Let me deal with him.” They locked eyes for a moment, but it was Merlin's nod that made Lancelot back off.<br/>It was also Merlin who shook Gwaine off. It was him who stopped even Leon from talking sense into Arthur.</p><p>Sometimes Arthur wondered if these knights were actually loyal to Camelot or to Merlin. Maybe those two things kind of belonged together.<br/>After all – Merlin was everything Arthur wanted Camelot to be. Minus the magic – but they would figure that out somehow. He didn't like it. But if Merlin had it – then maybe Arthur should take some time to learn to understand it instead.</p><p>He walked with Merlin down to the river, where Merlin was shivering. Not from the cold. No. He should be warm enough. Wings always kept you warm.<br/>“Now, go down. Into the river.”, Arthur demanded. Wordlessly, Merlin followed his orders.</p><p>“Now straighten your wings.”, Arthur instructed further. Merlin wasn't even protesting.<br/>The wet of the water was cold. Colder than Arthur would have imagined. Under water – even your wings couldn't help your body temperature. After all – they were giant limbs. As well as they protected their warmth through their feathers – the width of them could cool you down just as easily.</p><p>At least the outstretched wings of Merlin shielded him from the wind.<br/>“Kneel.”, Arthur demanded further and he could almost feel Merlin hesitating at that. But hardly for a fracture of a second. Only as long as one needed to realize how freaking cold the river could be.<br/>But Merlin followed anyway.</p><p>“Arthur – I -”</p><p>“Shut the fuck up, Merlin.”, Arthur stopped him and let one of his hands wander over the bright blue feathers that decorated his wings. There was so much to do about these wings. So many extra feathers, so many rocks. An arrow just barely between where the bones connected. Tiny, teeny tiny rocks. Branches and mud and all the stuff Arthur always winced at, if he saw it in another person's wings.<br/>And here he was, taking in the damage that was Merlin's secret life.<br/>This is where he would begin. Where he would begin to clean things up.</p><p>With his shaking hands – as careful as Arthur could ever be – he washed out the mud. And picked out the stones and the branches.<br/>He let white feathers fall into the river. Knowing fully well they were worth enough to feed his kingdom for a whole week.</p><p>“What are you doing?”, Merlin asked weekly, clearly not even feeling what Arthur was doing. Had he steeled himself so much that he couldn't even recognize that feeling of pain anymore?<br/>Arthur had never heard of such a thing.<br/>“I'm preening.”, Arthur said slowly, as he tried to clean yet another of those scratches left by the stones. Infected by sand and mud.</p><p>“You?”, Merlin gave back, but Arthur could feel every shiver in Merlin's form. He could feel him shaking each time he brushed another wound.<br/>Arthur wasn't particularly good at preening. Again – he never had to do it.<br/>But if Arthur knew something about Merlin – then it if he didn't let Arthur do this – he wouldn't let anyone else.<br/>He might have never asked Arthur to do this. Because Arthur was a prince. It wasn't his job to take care of someone else. Okay, maybe that sounded quite ironic.<br/>Not like this anyway.<br/>For the general well being of others, yes. But of their wings? That was never his job.</p><p>But Merlin. Merlin was his exception.<br/>“I know it's hard to believe – but I am capable to do this.”, Arthur said and almost ripped out another one of those beautifully blue feathers.</p><p>“Yeah? I think you're shit at it.”<br/>“You're shit at taking care of yourself, Merlin. This is the best you can get.”</p><p>Merlin was quiet all of a sudden. “It's – erm.”, he said after a while. While Arthur worked endlessly. Though he already felt his hands get heavy at having to reach up all the time.<br/>“It's actually kinda nice.”, Merlin admitted. And that was a huge compliment. Merlin must be feeling Arthur's every touch, his every attempt to clean things up. Arthur often felt uncomfortable when anyone did this. Well – except for Merlin of course.</p><p>“Did you lie, when you said Gaius did this for you? Have you always been like this?”</p><p>Merlin was quiet for a second. “Only ever since I came to Camelot. But Gaius does this sometimes. When he can't stand the sight of them anymore.”</p><p>“I could never get bored of looking at them.”, Arthur whispered truthfully and Merlin's wings spread a bit at that.<br/>“You mean – you like them?”, he asked confused. “You're not – you're not going to cut them off or – I dunno – try to make money of them?”</p><p>Arthur stopped in the middle of running more water over the beautiful blue.<br/>“Are you serious? I would never cut them off, Merlin. What the hell! You're going to keep them just the way they deserve to be. You have outstanding wings, Merlin! Cutting them off would be a crime beyond the law.”</p><p>Merlin turned around halfway. Barely enough to look at Arthur like he had gone insane.</p><p>“Arthur. They are white.”</p><p>“And blue.”, Arthur added.</p><p>“Not forever.”, Merlin shook his head.</p><p>Arthur blinked a few times. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“Arthur, I'm not only a warlock. My wings used to be fully blue. Like – just a few of them were white when I was born. The older I got – the more of them were replaced by pure white feathers. If it continues like this – by the time I'm fortyfive, they will be completely white.<br/>I am growing stronger by the second.<br/>Did I mention I was a warlock?”</p><p>Arthur blinked.<br/>“You have magic. So what.”, Arthur said and it wasn't a question.</p><p>“Arthur. I AM magic. If your father finds out -”<br/>“Well he won't. I'll make sure of it.”</p><p>Merlin let his shoulders sink, and Arthur raised his hands once more to keep going.</p><p>“You have to report me to him. What I am is against the law!”</p><p>“Then fuck the laws, Merlin.”, Arthur said exasperatedly. Merlin gaped as a response.<br/>“Look. You were born like this. It's not like you could change anything about it. It's not like you had a choice in this. But you are hurting yourself the way you're treating them.<br/>And I cannot have you continue like this. You will have them preened like everyone else does. And if you won't have anyone do this – then I will do it myself. And you will keep them clean and healthy and cared for. Do you understand! This is an order!”</p><p>They looked at each other for barely a moment, before Merlin responded.<br/>“Then how am I supposed to hide from your father? HOW am I supposed to keep my wings -”, he pointed at them. “clean and healthy, when the way they are just attracts attention by people who want them for themselves? Or who want my head? If you won't kill me. Then your father will!”</p><p>Arthur almost laughed. “You know, Merlin. For a warlock, you aren't really that smart, are you?”</p><p>Merlin blinked, almost offended by his words. “I am trying to survive, Arthur!”</p><p>Arthur laughed again. “How many sorcerers do you think I have faced, Merlin.”<br/>Again, it was not a question. And Merlin only scoffed as an answer.<br/>“How many people have been burned at the pyre, despite not having black feathers?”<br/>Merlin opened his mouth this time, but closed them again.</p><p>“Well – most of them had. But the glamour fell away after they died. How do you think sorcerers manage to hide within the castle? With magic, Merlin. They cover their wings so that we cannot recognize them.<br/>You could have done the same, if you weren't so completely stupid and self destructive.”</p><p>Merlin's shoulders and wings slumped completely.<br/>“There is a fucking spell for that?”</p><p>Arthur shook his head, not believing how stupid this idiot was. “Seriously – how come you never looked that up?”</p><p>Merlin was at a loss for words at this.</p><p>“God damn it Merlin. You are the most stupid, most magic resenting warlock I have ever met in my entire life.”<br/>“I'm the only warlock you ever met.”, Merlin shot back, but he looked so so relieved at the fact that Arthur didn't seem to hate him.<br/>“Yeah. If all warlocks are as reckless as you are – then I'm not surprised there have been so little.”</p><p>“You know – warlocks tend to end up immortal.”, Merlin whispered back, but that only got Arthur laughing again.<br/>“Wow. Honestly – then that is even MORE messed up! God they must have been even worse at taking care of themselves than you!”</p><p>Merlin grinned at that. “I hate you, you know that?”</p><p>“You literally just fought a whole group of bandits with me, thinking I would have you killed for it. I'm pretty sure you don't.<br/>So, can you stop moving around so much? I literally have no idea what I'm doing here.”</p><p>And for the first time today, Merlin actually managed to laugh again.</p><p>It took Arthur hours to get Merlin's wings kind of okay looking. They were wounded still and it was pretty hard to figure out a way to keep them kinda okay.</p><p>Not to mention they had to hide them without risking them be infected, when they returned to Camelot. Only then they found a book in Geoffrey's sacred library that described a decent glamour for Merlin.</p><p>So, with Uther's eyes on them, Merlin's wings would look gray and dark again, like an owl. But they would be okay.<br/>Only in Arthur's chambers, when Arthur preened them for Merlin, because the idiot really didn't trust anyone else to do it, only then did he let the glamour fall.<br/>Only then did Arthur get to see the real beauty that his servant had always been. A royal blue. A blinding white.<br/>Merlin was expensive, Arthur thought.<br/>No, he would correct himself. Merlin himself was worth far more than all his feathers combined.</p><p>But that was a much much longer story.</p>
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